This Is It
by DarklyDreaming88
Summary: Spoilers for Mockingjay. Gale and Katniss have some type of closure at the end of the series.


**I hate the way Gale and Katniss ended their relationship. I would have preferred it if Katniss ended up with Gale, but after the way Prim died I knew that couldn't happen, but they could have had some kind of closure. Here's my version of the closure they never had.**

**This Is It**

"Katniss…" He said as he sat next to my bed.

I couldn't even stand to look at him. It just reminded me of Prim and what he'd done. I need him to get out.

"Just leave me alone Gale. I don't want to talk to you right now."

"Please don't do this Katniss I… I never would… I loved her like a sister too. It kills me to know that I did this!" He yelled as his voice cracked.

I glanced at him but had to look away or I would start crying, and I will not cry in front of Gale ever again.

"Just leave." I said trying to convey the anger I was feeling, but it came out in a whisper. "Please." I said looking at my blanket.

He didn't move for a few minutes and after what seemed like an hour he finally got up and left. As he shut the door the first of many tears slid down my cheek.

I didn't see him after that until I got home to district 12 with Peeta. I was clearing debris from the front of the house when Gale walked up to me from behind. I already knew it was him before he said anything. Only one person could sneak up behind me like that.

"Hi Katniss."

I turned to look at him. He was sweating obviously fixing up his house as well. He looked exhausted, like he had been working nonstop for days, but I had a feeling his exhaustion wasn't from his strenuous activities.

"Hi." I said curtly.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?... Please." He practically begged.

I wanted to say 'no' more than anything. Looking at him still reminded me of what he did to Prim, but I couldn't say no. He may have played a huge part in my sister's death, but he was also the main reason she even lived that long. I at least owed him one last talk, so I nodded at him.

We walked to the edge of the woods which were no longer fenced off before he began talking.

"I know you don't want to speak to me anymore but I just wanted you to know that everything I did was to protect all the citizens of Panem. I know some of my ideas were terrible, but we were at war! I was just doing… I HAD to do everything I could to win that war! I know you blame me for Prim's death, and I understand that. I blame myself too and there's nothing I want more than to trade places with her, but I can't. I know there's nothing I can say that will make you forgive me and that's fine. I can't forgive myself so I don't expect you to forgive me. I just need to know that you understand why I did it. I feel like I should be in jail for this. I feel guilty every second of the day! I knew there would be casualties, but losing some to save everyone was worth it to me. Now I'm not so sure. Was it worth it?

I stared at him not knowing the answer. All I know is my sister is gone and the reason for that is my best friend. He watched me for a second and then kept going.

"I can't stop thinking about her Katniss. I can't get her face out of my head. It's not even just Prim. It's all of them!" He said wiping tears off his face.

I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream at him, but he was obviously taking this worse that I would have thought.

"Rory won't speak to me either. He was best friends with Prim. I told him what I did and he hasn't so much as glanced at me in weeks. I don't know what to do. Please just tell me you understand why I did it. That I'm not some monster that doesn't deserve to live!"

"You're not a monster Gale. You… you saved Prim, my mom, your family, and a hundred other people from the bombing. You helped rescue Peeta in the capital, and you helped win a war." My voice was tight and when I was done I wiped a traitorous tear from my eye.

"I get why you did it. I just can't forgive you right now. I don't know if I ever will."

"I know." He said defeated.

We both just stood there lost in thought. Neither of us having the courage to look the other in the eye.

"I'm going to district 2." Gale broke the silence.

"What?"

"I got a job offer in district 2, and I'm going to go. My family is going to stay here though. As soon as I'm done fixing the house I'll be leaving. There's nothing left for me here." He said running a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry for that, but it's probably for the best."

He nodded. "So I take it you're staying here."

"Yeah. Peeta and I are going to help rebuild the district." I told him.

"Well I'm glad you have him… really I am. I hope you are happy together." He said without the resentment that would have been there before the war.

"We will be."

So… I guess this is it." He said looking at me.

"Yeah I guess it is." I said looking up finally meeting his gaze.

Memories of Gale and I in the woods run through my head. I am a completely different person than that girl. I lost Prim and Gale. They were the two most important people in my life then, and now one is dead and the other… is going to be gone too.

"You know… Gale begins to speak snapping me out of my daydream. "I've loved you since that day in the Hob when Darius asked you to buy one of his kisses, well I loved you before that but I didn't know it until then... I just waited too long to tell you." He said with a sad smile on his face.

"I loved you too." I said as we stood in silence again.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered as a tear rolled down his face.

"So am I." I looked at his face one last time. The face that used to bring a smile to mine, the face that I used to be able to tell anything to, the face that belonged to my best friend was now a face that I felt nothing for.

"Goodbye Gale."


End file.
